Thanksgivings are such a special time of the year. For most of us. For me it getting to see my loved ones. Sharing a big Thanksgiving meal and being thankful for one another. This year we planned a biggie. All four of my kids and most of their kids were to show up. All brought food. Lots of it. One grandchild even brought her kid (no we didn’t eat him), greatgrandson named Iggy from Austin, Texas. We were all pretty thrilled with the idea of it all. I don’t really know who all showed up, such is the size of my family, but it was a good crowd.

Come dinner time Thursday we had my buffet piled high with great turkey meat from Tulsa. Hams seasoned almost unbelievably sat next to the deviled eggs and dressing? You bet. Chicken. Not to be forgotten. Some say the chicken rules the roost and they might be right. All kinds of fixings were there, and we ate everything down to the platters.

The party was great but the next day a post-Thanksgiving Day omen also arrived. Some of my guests who had already gone reported sick. The food? That delicious spread brought this misery. The day after the big feast an illness was raging, and several were not so well. The food? A big at first suspect but turned out to be innocent. Covid? Well as highly suspect and scary as it was, several covid tests were negative. A trip to the emergency room doctor soon revealed we had entertained a strange strep germ unawares. The germ romped at will through several members of my family but now all are getting well. It was pretty serious and left us all a little suspicious but glad we had survived. Pat and I somehow side stepped this little germ.

Like most infections in a crowd that had gathered from several states across our fruited plain, we might never know who the index patient was and now I guess it doesn’t matter. But it wasn’t the turkey after all. Whew. That’s a relief. Hate to spend the rest of my somewhat ever-shortening life avoiding Thanksgiving and its wonderful dietary delights. Not to mention the fellowship. But enough said, I suppose ‘till next year.

You may have noticed that next Sunday First Baptist Church will present “Hanging of the Green” in their Sunday morning service. This is on December 5 ^th at 11:00 AM. Everyone is welcome to attend. It’s a beautiful Christmas service celebrating the birth of Jesus. A beautiful service which all members of your family will enjoy. Like I said, all members of the community are invited. Afterwards there will be a Christmas-like dinner served. You are welcome to come to this too. Food will be delicious and for some it will be a good chance to get an early peek at the new Family Life Center we are enjoying so much.

So now the great Holiday Season hits full blast. Some of the TV ads sort of knock the bloom off this religious season. Oh, did I say religious? Sorry ‘bout that. I know a lot of non-Christians find the celebration season sort of obnoxious, but it is a beautiful time of year and incredibly special to most of us. So as a favor to Christians I would hope people could lay off the “X-mas” and other labels. “Season’s Greetings” just does not get the job done either, does it? Just go ahead and say it: “Merry Christmas.” That wasn’t so painful, was it? And yeah, it does precede a new year and that’s fine too.

So, without further ado, let me just go ahead and wish each and all a Merry Christmas Season! Do your thing. Enjoy it. See you Sunday!

Wayne Bullard, DPh

cwaynebullard@gmail.com